When Your Spouse Dies: Read This Book

I've been a fan of Joyce Carol Oates since I was a teenager. In fact, I actually wrote her a letter once and sent it to her at Princeton where she teaches, but imagine my surprise when she never responded. I got over it - maybe.

Anyhow, her new book, A Widow's Story, documents her own life experience after her husband suddenly died after complications from pneumonia. My usual experience in reading her books is that I love each one, though I'm not as crazy about the writing in this one as with her others. Perhaps she becomes a little more wordy as she struggled with the incredibly emotional material.

Regardless, widows and widowers will find comfort in many of the pages, and others can gatch a sad but vibrant glimpse into how someone copes with such grief.